Electric switch.



1C. W. BROCKETT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED IUIIE 25, 1916. 1,266,206.

Patented Mayll, 1918.

CHARLES W. BROCKETT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO W. R. OSTRANDEREL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application led .Tune 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,814.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES W. BROCKETT, citizenof the United States of America, residing at 193 Broadway, Brooklyn, N. Y., have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, of which the following is a specification. f

My present invention has reference particularly to switches of the key socket type andthe general objects of the invention, in addition to simplifyingV and reducing the cost of Aproduction of such switches, are to provide a more rigid and firm support for Vthe keyv spindle; to improve the mounting for the spring contact arms; to mount the contact arms in such a way as to free them of strain, give them greater liexibility and increased longevity; to compensate for inequalities or irregularities in the porcelain or other insulating base of the switch and to simplify the assemblageof the switch.

In the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects, I mount the key spindle in a bracket or frame which vis readily secured in place and support the spring contact arms in a pocket formed in the sup portingframe.

Irregularities in the porcelaine are compensated for by interposing a compressible packing between-the frame and the base which supports it. f

-Other features and details of construction will appear as the specification proceeds, attention being directed to the accompanying drawing forming apart hereof and wherein I have illustrated the invention embodied in a practical and preferred form.

Figure l, is a side elevation of the invention embodied in a key socket switch with the key spindle shown in section.

F ig. 2, is a view with the upper member of the base removed, this view being taken at a rightangle to the plane of Fig'l.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of Fig. 2 looking down on top of the lower porcelain and parts carried thereby.

. Fig. 4e, is a perspective view of the spindle l supportingframe and associated parts.

In the constructionillustrated, the insulating base of the switch is made in two partsk and `11 shown secured together by through screws 12 and 13 extending through the flange of thefscrew shell contact 14 and engaging at their upper ends a nut 15 and a circuit terminal 16 respectively.

The other circuit terminal is indicated at 16 secured by a screw 17 to the top flange 18 of the upper porcelain 10 and provided with an inturned foot 19 yforming a contact.

Secured on the fiange 20 of the lower porcelain 11 at a point substantially opposite the upper contact 19 is a lower contact 21, said Contact being connected by a screw 22 with the center lamp contact 23.

24 designates the key spindle for operat-` ing the switch, said spindle being mounted in the laterally extending arms of a supporting frame orbracket 25.

This frame is supported in the present instance by having a supporting portion 26 seated in a slot 27 formedk in the lower porcelain and accommodation is made for variations in the size of the porcelain, etc., by the interposition of a compressible packing 28 in said slot between the frame and the walls of the slot. This compressible packing may be made of paper or other suitablematerial and may consist simply of a small strip of paper folded to embrace the opposite sides and the lower edge of the frame.

The supporting frame is secured in place in the present disclosure by means of a screw 29 passed up through the lower porcelain and engaging a threaded socket formed in the laterally extending lug 30 provided on the upper edge of the frame, said lug having a bearing in the pocket 31 provided therefor in the. upper surface of the lower porcelain.

\ This construction provides a particularly rigid and rm mounting for the key spindle and serves .to confine the key spindle and associated parts to the lower porcelain when the base is taken apart.

The spring contact arms are provided in the illustration by a spring yoke made up of a back portion 32 supporting at its opposite ends the spring arms 83 and 34 extending into position above and below the key spindle respectively to engage Athe upper and lower contacts 19 and 21, said arms being forced apart and into engagement with the respective contacts by a spreading cam 35 on the spindle.

This contact yoke is, in my invention, carried by the supporting frame, said frame beback `of the yoke.

ing provided for the purpose in the present illustration with od-set relatively closely spaced side portions 36 and 37 forming a pocket receiving the back of the yoke. Up and down shifting movement of the yoke in this pocket is prevented by providing the back portion of the yoke with a notch 38 in one edge thereot` engaging over the side portion 37 and the yoke is held against displacement trom said pocket by a pin 39 extending between the side portions 36-3'? across the This holding pin forms in effect a iulcrum over which the spring yoke yields and the surface of contact is so small as to allow the greatest freedom to the movement of the yoke and this adds very materially to the life and resiliency of the spring yoke.

The spring yoke may be reinforced by indenting it in the back thereof to form an inwardly extending corrugation el ,and as this eorrugation is the only part which is engaged by the holding pin the area of Contact is thus .much more reduced.

The friction at the point where the holding pin engages the stiiiening rib in the back of the spring yoke is ordinarily suiiicient to maintain the pin in position but accidental disengagement of the pin is positively guarded against in the disclosure by causing the head end of the pin to lie up against a retaining wall 40 on the base when the trame is in assembled position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention is of extremely inexpensive construction, that the parts are all simple in design and are such as to be readily assembled and it will be further evident that the switch is thoroughly practical and serviceable in all respects.

That I claim is l. ln a switch oi the character described, an insulating base comprising `upper and lower members of molded insulating material, means for clamping said two base members together, a metallic spindle-supporting frame held between said molded baseV menibers, and a packing of relatively soft yielding material engaged between the insulating base and the metallic Jframe and compressible by the securing together oi' the parts to thereby compensate for variations in the t of the molded and metallic parts.

2. In a switch of the character described, an operating spindle, a frame in which said spindle is mounted, said frame having side portions spaced relatively close together to form a pocket, a spring -yoke having a back portion seated in the pocket thus provided in the frame and spring contact arms at opposite ends of said back projecting to opposite sides ofthe spindle, a pin 'engaged between the spaced side portions of the frame and extending acrossthe ,back portion the springpyokepto thereby secure `the saine in the pocket aforesaid, a spreading cam on the spindle between the contact arms and contacts arranged to be engaged by the contact arms of the yoke.

3. ln a switch ofA the character described, a spindle, a traine in which said spindle is journaled,v said fra-me having relatively closely spaced side portions forming a pocket, a spring yoke having a back portion seated in said pocket and contact arms at the opposite ends of the saine extending to opposite sides of the spindle, said back portion of the yoke having anotch in the edge thereci receiving one of the side portions 'of the trame to prevent displacement or' the yoke, a spreading cam on the spindle disposed between the contact arms oi' the yoke and contacts arranged to be engaged by saidcontact arms.

d. ln a switch'of the character described, a spindle, a trame in which said spindle is journaled, said frame having relatively closely spaced side portions forming a pocket, a spring yoke having a back portion seated in said pocket andcontact arms at the opposite ends ot the same extending to opposite sides oi' the spindle, said back portion oi the yoke having a notch in the edge thereof receiving one of the side portions of the frame to prevent displacement of the yoke in one direction, means carried by the spaced portions of the trame for preventing displacement of the yoke out of the pocket aforesaid, a spreading cam on the spindle between the contact arms and contacts arranged to be engaged by said contact arms.

5. ln a switch of the character described, a spindle, a frame supporting said spindle and provided with spaced apart side portions i'orniing aV pocket therebetween, a contact yoke having a back portion vengaged in said pocket and contact arms extending kto opposite sides or" the spindle said yoke having a corrugation in the back portion thereof forming a stiiening rib, a securing pin engaged between the 'spaced side portions oi the yoke and engaging said stid'ening rib to form a iulcrum securing the yoke in the traine, a cam on the spindle between the contact arms and contacts arranged to be engaged by said contact arms.y

6. ln a switch of the character described, an insulating base having a slot in the Jface thereof, a supporting frame having a bar portion engaging in said 'slot andfside portions spaced apart to provide a pocket, a compressible packing in said slot forming a yielding seat for the bar portion 'of' the frame, means i'or holding the frame yieldingly seated in the slot, a contact yoke having a back portion yengaged in the pocket provided in. the frame, means extending between the spaced side portions of the frame across the back portion of the Contact yoke to thereby .secure said. yoke in -thewpocket aforesaid, said yoke having spring contact arms projecting from opposite ends of the back portion thereof, a spindle journaled in the supporting frame, a cam on said spindle for spreading the contact arms and contacts disposed in position to be engaged by said contact arms.

7 In a switch of the character described, an `insulating base having a slot, a supporting frame engageable in said slot, a compressible packing folded to engage the opposite faces of said frame and interposed in said slot between the fra-me and the walls of said slot and means holding said frame thus seated in said slot. f

8. In a switch of the character described, an insulating base having a retaining wall, a supporting frame mounted on said base having an olf-set ortion disposed adjacent said retaining wa l, a headed pin engaged in said off-set portion of the frame with its head adjoining the retaining wall and thereby held against disengagement from said off-set portion, a contact yoke mounted in the frame retained in position therein by said pin and provided with spring contact arms, a spindle journaled in the frame, a spreading cam on said spindle between the contact arms and contacts on the base in position to be engaged by said contact arms.

9. In a switch of the character described, an insulating base comprising upper and lower members provided with contiguous recesses forming a switch chamber, a frame having a back portion disposed between the adjoining faces of the base members and spaced end portions provided with bearings for a spindle, one of said bearinv portions of the frame projecting into the switch chamber aforesaid, a spindle journaled in the bearings, a cam on the spindle Within the switch chamber, a contact yoke within n the switch `chamber having a back portion supported by that portion of the frame within the switch chamber and spring arms disposed on opposite sides of the cam, means securing the back portion of the contact yoke relatively loosely to the supporting portion of the frame to thereby enable the yoke to adjust itself to the action of the cam and contacts on the upper and lower base members respectively disposed in position to be engaged by the contact arms of the voke.

l 10. In a switch of the character described, an insulating base comprising upper and lower members provided with contiguous recesses forming a switch chamber, a frame having a back portion disposed between the adjoining faces of the base members and spaced end portions provided with bearings for a spindle, one of said bearing portions of the frame projecting into the switch chamber aforesaid, a spindle journaled in the hearings, a cam on the spindle within the switch chamber, a contact yoke within l the switch chamber having a back portion supported by that portion of the frame within the switch chamber and spring arms disposed on opposite sides of the cam, means securing the back portion of the contact yoke relatively loosely to the sup orting portion of the frame to thereby ena le the yoke to adjust itself to the action of the cam and contacts on the upper and lower base members respectively disposed in position to be engaged by the contact arms of the yoke.

CHARLES W. BROCKETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 'for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

